Unlike the dismil weather report, Sunday dawned with bright sunlight and very warm temperatures! We were excited to start our day! The breakfast buffet was awesome! We changed into swimsuits and headed to one of the six pools on the property. I applied sunscreen to my very white skin. We settled back on lounges and listened while a Mexican band played poolside. A waiter came by and after taking our drink order, offered us fruit. I said yes to a large toothpick with pineapple, honeydew, watermelon, and cantaloupe on it. Delicious! Lying back, in the warm sun, enjoying the music, Ah! Vacation!
Wait a minute – What? Ow! What? My lips are swelling! Ow! No, really! Swelling and burning! Like twice the size of Angelina Jolie’s! What is happening?
Within an hour, my hands, arms and face were red and swollen. Basically, everywhere I had put sunscreen was on Fire! Was I allergic to the sunscreen? This was a brand I had never bought before. At any rate, I was hurting and the longer we stayed out there, the worst I felt! I moved to the shade and was still hurting, but bearable. Doug got to lay out and enjoy the sun. We showered(a cool shower for me), and went to dinner. Super Bowl? Forget it! When we went to bed, I slept solid until 12:30 when I awoke with Horrible pain in my arms and hands! This was not like sunburn pain – this was tissue deep pain. I lied awake until sunrise. We dressed, went to breakfast, and then to the store on the property. We bought me a hat, long sleeved shirt, and gel to put on my skin. Monday, we toured the property. The pictures I took and posted to FaceBook where from the 9th floor. Beautiful!
We decided to go back to the pool. If I stayed in the shade, or kept my skin wet, I could stand to be outside. We passed a pleasant day, eating lunch at the outside bar (in the shade) and enjoying drinks. The alcohol actually helped my condition (imagine!). Monday night when I payed down, my face was absolutely on Fire! I was trying not to cry. I payed there, hurting until almost 1:00 in the morning when I finally fell asleep.
Won’t bore you with more of this except to say – Tuesday was no better and by Tuesday night, I was afraid I would have to go to the Hospital. But Wait! I can’t go to a Mexican Hospital! Are you kidding? So I suffered on! I had looked up my symptoms on Web MD and decided that I had sun poisoning. I have been sunburned in my life, but never Anything like this!
Wednesday, when we woke up, it was Raining! Yay! We stayed in the room, all day, watching movies and ordering room service. I did not look any better, but Wednesday was the first day that I was not in horrible pain!
Thursday, we got up and made our way Home! It wasn’t until we were at the airport, in conversation with another passenger, whose husband was a Doctor, that she happened to ask me, was I taking an antibiotic? Light Bulb Moment! Hello! I had been fighting a sinus infection for over two weeks and, yes, I had been taking Major antibiotics! My sinuses were Great! My skin? Not so much!
Today is Friday. We are back home, thank God! I went to my doctor today and got a cortisone shot. Hopefully, I’ll feel better. In the meantime, Doug and I have decided to retire our passports. If we go on vacation again, A. I won’t tell anyone and B. It will be in the United States. Stayed tuned.

The rental car driver lets us off in front of the airport and unloads our luggage. My “free” ride to the hotel has long gone. The only other form of transportation was a taxi. The taxi wanted $80 to drive us to the hotel because gas is so high in Mexico. Doug got him down to $40 and I was too tired to argue. We climbed into another van and off we went. By now it’s getting dark and we have been travelling for 12 hours. We drive about ten miles and the driver says he must pull over and get in with “headquarters”. This will only take a minute. He pulls up in a run down establishment that looks part convenient store/warehouse and stops the van. He returns within a couple of minutes and opens our door, saying we need to take the smaller taxi. Once again, me, Doug, and our luggage was swapped to a much smaller car. When the driver opens the back door to let me in, I hesitated for a long time. The interior of the car looked like 20 cats had been locked in there for quite a while. Needless to say, the upholstery was torn to shreds! I finally got in; not seeing any other options! Doug and I are in the backseat and our driver takes off. It is now pitch dark. We drive and drive. Our driver says not a word! We pass out of the city to a very dark 2 lane road that is surrounded by mangroves and dense foliage. We travel for 30 minutes until Doug asks the driver, “Do you know how long it will take to get to our hotel? ” his reply? “Yes”.
That’s it! That’s the only word he spoke to us the entire trip! The longer we rode, the more nervous Doug and I became! I read Stephan King, I listen to the news! I am positive this is Not going to end well! I am picturing this guy pulling over to the side of the rode and robbing/killing us. The is no one around to help us. Doug and I exchange a long look. I know he is thinking the same thing I am. Just as Doug opens his mouth (to scream, question,?), we go around a curve and there it is! Our Hotel! It’s Beautiful! Yay! We can’t believe it!
The driver lets us out. We go into this wonderful place and check in. Our room is on the main floor (there are nine floors – over 450 rooms!) We are shown to our room. It’s 8:00! We are starved and exhausted! We ordered a cheeseburger via room service and inhaled it! Climbing into the big, comfortable King sized bed, I checked the weather report for the rest of the week as Doug was falling asleep. Weather Report? 60% chance of Thunderstorms for the next six days! Well, F_ _k it! And Goodnight!

We landed in Dallas, no problems. Wheelchair escort to the next gate. I generally Hate to be in a wheelchair, but, when traveling – bring it on! Next flight is 2 hours to Cancun. We spent a fair amount of time filling out two pages of personal info in order to enter into the country. It took all I could do, not to mention border crossings and why do we need to fill out this paperwork? We arrived at 4:00 local time. Okay. You need to know when we landed in Cancun, the hotel where we were staying had a Free courtesy shuttle to the hotel. But I had rented a car for the week (very cheap), thinking we would go exploring, etc. We arrived in Cancun, no problems. Problems started as soon as we entered the terminal. Young man helped with our luggage, pushed my wheelchair into the largest throng of people I have ever encountered! All pitching deals, sign here, come with me, free lobster dinner, free ferry cruise, sign here, sign here. Took us thirty minutes to get through this tiny airport to where our shuttle waited. Okay. This is the point in my story, the point in our trip, that is Totally on Me. We get outside and are confronted with two rides. The driver of the hotel shuttle has a large card with my name on it. So does the rental car guy! Okay, now what? My decision (remember; it’s My decision), was to sign off on the Free ride to the hotel and wait for our rental car. Outside the airport, was a Margaritaville Hut. Doug and I got a cold beer while waiting for our rental car.
Beautiful afternoon, cold beer, on Vacation! The van to take us to the rental car place pulled up. (Note to self: If rental car site is not In the airport, ie, Budget, Hertz, etc., use extreme caution!) We load luggage and ourselves into the van, which takes us about two miles down the road to the car rental place – Called, USafe Rental. The rental office was a small trailer. Parked inside of a gated 100 x 200 lot was parked in every direction, about 25-30 small white cars that looked alike. Whatever. We are in Mexico, and this is Not Hertz!
I stayed in the van while Doug went to pick up the rental car. I had paid for it at the same time I booked our trip, so, no problems, right? Do you remember where I said we were?
So, Doug is in the little trailer, our driver is unloading our luggage. I assume that means I need to get out of the van as well. I follow the driver to the trailer, where Doug is coming down the steps (he has NO keys in his hand), followed by a woman. I look at Doug and he says they want an additional $26 a day for insurance on the car. I tell the woman that my personal car insurance wll cover us. She argues that in Mexico, no insurance covers rental cars. We must take out a separate policy for $26 per day. I told her No. Give me my money back that I have already paid. She says the website where I booked has the car rental money. I have to contact them! She has no money! Fine! Can your driver take us on to our hotel? NO! He will take you back to the airport; that’s all! So, we got our luggage and climbed back into the van for the ride Back to the airport! Stay tuned!

I am nothing, if not honest. If I write about it here, it is the Truth.

Okay, so let’s face it. Part (most), of the fun of taking a Big vacation (Big- includes words like airplanes, cruises, Grand Tetons, the word Florida), is being able to brag about the trip to friends, co-workers, family, FaceBook friends. You know, everyone who will be envious that you are going and they are not! And never mind the preceived cost or length of the trip, if you are going on a trip in the dead of winter, to a place Known for warm, sunny, tropical weather? Get Out! Even as they wish you well. You Know the envy they are feeling. So, let’s be honest, even if you Do deserve such a trip, can afford such a trip, you leave on that first morning, with the knowledge that, for the following week (two, whatever), everyone you know will be wishing they could be YOU!

DON’T !!!!!!  I repeat – DON’T !!!!!!!  Do not Ever wish you were Me or my Husband or be anywhere we might be! You must trust me when I tell you that, wherever you are, right now, whatever you may be doing,  I ENVY YOU!!!

I planned our February trip to Cancun because A. The price was right and B. It’s warm, and tropical! Weather was forecast for 82 degrees everyday and our hotel is one of several sitting practically IN the ocean!

Saturday…..

Doug doesn’t like long flights, so to pacify him, I bought a couple of DVD movies and brought along my sister’s portable DVD player. I was up, packed, and in the car by 6:08 a.m. for our 9:20 flight out of Nashville. We made good time, scored a wheelchair, was escorted all the way to our gate. Plane was on time; Dallas would also have a chair waiting for me. Nice take off, after de-icing (?) the plane. A two hour flight, I took a small nap and when I woke asked Doug did he want to watch a movie. Sure. Got all the equipment out necessary to watch; DVD player, movie, remote, two pairs of headphones. I have not fooled with this DVD player in a year or so. I had forgotten where the on/off switch was. Had to locate where to plug in 2 sets of headphones. After I started the movie, there was no sound, so removed the batteries from the remote and adjusted them. Ah, sound! Just as the opening credits to the movie were playing, the captain came on the loudspeaker, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are started our descent into Dallas airport. Please put away all your portable devices, make sure your tray table…blah, blah.” Doug and I looked at each other and laughed and laughed! It’s a good thing! This would be the last laugh we would share for a Long time.

Stay tuned!